LAHORE – Police have arrested a man after 13-year-old boy was married to a five-year-old girl in Sheikhupura.
Police said the incident took place in Kot Nazir area near GT Road in Sheikhupura, adding that eight persons, including their parents, attended the wedding event.
A team of Muridke police raided the ceremony after they received information about it and arrested a person.
A case has been registered on the complaint of the ASI Muhammad Younis under Child Marriage Act. Police said that raids are being conducted to arrest other suspects.
Underage marriage in Pakistan is a significant issue, despite laws prohibiting marriage below the age of 18 for girls and 20 for boys. However, these laws are overridden by the cultural norms particularly in rural areas.
Earlier this year in March, a district and sessions court in Karachi awarded two-year jail sentence to man for marrying an underage girl.
Additional Sessions Judge Irshad Hussain announced the verdict on a petition filed against suspect Muhammad Aslam for marrying the 15-year-old girl.
Pakistani man gets two-year in jail for marrying underage girl
